PLEASANT HILL, Mo. — A seven-year-old boy, struck by an SUV, is on the minds of many in a close-knit neighborhood in Pleasant Hill, Mo.
Police say the little boy was crossing 7 Highway near his home when the SUV hit him early Tuesday morning. The accident happened near Wright Street. As of Tuesday night, the seven-year old boy remained in critical condition.
Police say he walked out of his house, crossed the busy highway and on his way back he got hit by the SUV.
A football, a softball and several other toys belonging to the boy fill his front yard in Pleasant Hill. Next door neighbor and family friend Bill Hammons rents the home to the boy’s father.
“He was just a little live wire. Just a good, little, friendly kid,” Hammons said.
Early Tuesday morning around 6:30 something awful happened to Hammons’ little neighbor.
“I didn’t know who it was to start with,” he said.
Neighbors say when the first grader tried to come back to his house, an SUV hit him. Hammons says a nurse and a firefighter, who happened to be caught in the traffic jam, jumped out of their cars to help the injured boy.
“I just seen him laying over there and they were over there attending to him and I had no idea it was him,” said Hammons. “His dad wasn’t even up yet. It’s terrible. Yeah he was the best little kid. I mean just a joy.”
Investigators say the child suffered critical injuries and was flown to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.
Police say the man driving the SUV stopped and talked extensively to officers at the scene.
“What we don’t know is why he was even over there? He never crosses that road and he gets on the school bus right there, right here in my driveway,” said Hammons.
Neighbor April Leeper says her son and the injured child are best friends.
“He’s a good little kid,” said Leeper. “He always stayed in his yard.”
She along with other moms and dads in this neighborhood just want the little guy to pull through.
“I’m praying that he makes it, that they don’t have to go through the loss of a child,” Leeper said.
“It’s gonna be hard on all of us,” said Hammons.
All day Tuesday family members were at the hospital with the boy. As of Tuesday night police hadn’t released any more details about the accident.